Québec City is such a wonderful little gem in Canada. Once we left mainland Europe, we thought we were saying goodbye to cute European cities with cobbled streets. However as it turns out, we found that again in Québec City! A beautiful city with some incredible buildings, wonderful shops and hidden gems. We’ve put together a little list of some of our favourite things to do in this great city.

Also a quick note, as with the rest of the Québec province, French is the sole official language. However, like in much of France, while most of the signs are in French, most workers and most native people do speak English too. Just keep in mind that French is the default for most people!

The best thing to do in Québec City is visit the old town, which was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1985. The city walls are actually the only fortified walls remaining in North America north of Mexico, and there are several gates into the city. The architecture of the old city feels super European, with lots of stone buildings and cobbled streets. On either side of the streets are also cute shops that match the style of the area and it’s just wonderful to walk around. There are also some parks and lots of places to sit and relax so you can easily spend a couple of hours walking around.

After browsing the shops, a great place to head to is Dufferin Terrace. This is a long wooden terrace built in 1859 with great views overlooking the St Lawrence River. It also runs alongside and has a wonderful view of Château Frontenac. Although if you visit in winter, this boardwalk quickly turns into an icy walkway with nothing to hold onto. Don’t make the mistake we did – stay off it when it’s frozen! At Dufferin Terrace you will also find the funicular, that gets you from the upper town to lower town. Built in 1879, the ride will only take 30 seconds and costs $5 CAD per person.

This beautiful Château dominates the skyline of the city and is absolutely impossible to miss. A historic hotel that opened in 1893, it has 18 floors, and over 600 rooms. You can stay the night starting at around $300 CAD per night, depending on the season of course. The hotel is part of a series of grand hotels in Canada and looks like a castle. It has huge slanted green roofs, lots of turrets, and sits on a hill overlooking the city. It honestly looks like something out of a fantasy novel, and it’s just a very cool part of the old town.

Located just outside the official parameters of the old town, the Petit-Champlain district is over 400 years old. Rue du Petit-Champlain, or little Champlain street in English, is a short little shopping street located within this district.

This street is genuinely one of our favourite streets in the world, and you’ll know why when you visit. The street is one of the oldest commercial streets in North America, and it is lined with cute clothing, food and accessory stores. This is also where the lower entrance of the funicular is, up to Dufferin Terrace above. We were lucky enough to visit in winter, where it was decorated with Christmas trees and lights strung up between the shops. However it really is the most picture perfect street that will look magical in any season.

Nearby Rue du Petit-Champlain is Place Royal which is the site of the first North American French settlement. The little town square has a cobblestone ground with cute stone buildings all around it. Here you’ll also find the Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church, which is North Americas oldest stone church. If you’re lucky enough to visit in winter, a big Christmas Tree is also placed in this square. Being there really just feels like you’re stepping back in time and it just is a wonderful place to explore, whatever season you visit.

The Citadelle of Québec is a current active military base on a hill overlooking the city. It also overlooks the St Lawrence River and is in a star shape. It has a walking path along the outside of it for free, but you can also go in for a fee.

You can visit both the Citadelle and its museum on a one hour guided tour for $22 CAD. The tours are in either French or English, however they do have tour booklets in other languages too. There are permanent and special exhibitions, interactive exhibitions and the chance to tour the Royal 22e Régiment museum. The whole place is open from 10am to 5:30pm, however the last guided tour leaves at 4pm.

Two days a week in October the Citadelle runs night tours, again both in French and English. This is a 90 minute interactive tour and you get to see the building in lantern light, which would be a cool way to see it.

Another great special event at the Citadelle happens between late June to early September. Once a day there is a musical performance by the Royal 22nd Regiment band that runs for 30 minutes. The show runs from Wednesday to Sunday at 10am, and some Saturdays there’s an added show at 4pm. It is included in the general admission ticket, however is cancelled during rain. So if you want to see this, make sure to book a tour ticket for around this time!

This 240 acre park is located next to the Citadelle, about a 15 minute walk from the Old Town. It’s also the site of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, which took place between the British and French armies in 1759. It is now a public park where people play sports and relax as well as where festivals and concerts are held.There are lots of walking tracks around the park, as well as bandstands, monuments, and a prison museum. In winter some locals ski around the park and some areas turn into ice staking rinks. As the park is up on a hill there is a great view down to St Lawrence River.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, just outside of the park is a museum all about it. For $13.25 CAD you can visit and learn about the battle, but also see cool archaeological objects found in the park. This museum also serves as a gift shop and information centre for the park. So if you want to know anything about the park, grab a map or use the bathroom, head there before exploring the Plains.

If you find yourself visiting Québec City from late November to late December, you’ll be lucky enough to be there for the Québec City German Christmas Market. This market is completely free and is open Thursday to Sunday for the whole month. There are 90 stalls in five different locations across the city, but all within an easy walk of each other. At the stalls you’ll find food, arts and crafts, local produce and hot drinks with cute holiday reusable cups. It truly is a magical place to wander around, especially when it’s snowing! We’ve actually got a full blog post about the best Christmas Markets in Canada, and you can read about that here.

Whether you’re visiting Québec City during the Christmas period or another time of the year, you’re going to have a great time. It’s not the biggest city and doesn’t need a huge amount of time, but it has so much charm. The walled old town with it’s cute cobbled streets and beautiful shop fronts is truly the best. Plus a wander down Rue du Petit-Champlain and through the Plains of Abraham park can not be missed. Whatever you get up to, you’re going to see why this city is our favourite in Canada!

If you want to see how we spent a few days in Québec City just before Christmas, you can check out our vlog:

• Plan Your Visit: The Best Christmas Markets In Canada
• Where To See The Best Christmas Decorations In New York City
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